SERVICES _

Software Due Diligence

Efficient and minimally invasive measurement of the critical quality criteria for maintainability and extensibility of software assets. This is based on measuring the quality of the features in the code instead of a pure code quality analysis and the maintenance and extra effort to implement new features. This approach delivers much more insights than a pure code analysis.

Identify necessary investments in your software
Predict maintenance efforts
Assess the quality, sustainability and accuracy of AI/ML integrations
Find out who the key contributors are and measure the knowledge distribution in the team
Evaluate digital readiness
Align investor goals with the technological capabilities of the target software

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DEFINITON _

What is Software Due Diligence?

A software due diligence (often part of a technology due diligence) is an analysis and evaluation of the code base and the software engineering with focus on potential risks. These often result from poor quality, a problematic technological basis and a lack of scalability.

A software due diligence is sometimes also offered as part of a technology due diligence, technical due diligence or even IT due diligence, which does not do justice to the complexity of the topic. Investors should ensure that the right scope, expertise and analysis tools are used to avoid pitfalls.

In an M&A transaction, a professionally conducted software due diligence reveals the opportunities and risks for successful further development of the software at an early stage.

In order for an investor to make a fact based investment decision, the software centric-questions should be answered, for example:

Viability

What is the technological future viability of the software?

Methodology

Are state-of-the-art development methods in use? Is there adequate documentation of the code and architecture?

Further development

Can the software be further developed and maintained with normal effort and cost?

Key players

Are the relevant developers of the software on board after the transaction?

Efficiency

How efficient is software development done by the team(s)?

Artificial Intelligence

To what extent does the use of artificial intelligence (AI) represent added value and has its potential been fully exploited technically?

Security

What security risks exist in the software or in the use of open source software?

Best Practices

How does the software development compare with the market?

SUCCESS STORY _

Specialty chemicals supplier Atotech buys its strategic software supplier

Learn about the challenges Atotech faced when acquiring their software supplier, how the solution with Cape of Good Code turned out and the benefits that were achieved.

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WHITEPAPER _

Learn what really matters in software due diligence

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ARTICLE _

Relevance of Software Due Diligence in M&A (M&A Review)

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RELEVANCE _

Why is a software due diligence important?

“In short, Software is eating the world” (Marc Andreessen)

The importance of software for the success of a company is increasingly growing in a digitized business world - software has to be seen as the backbone of digitization. Therefore software must bring with it the potential to be easily and flexibly adapted to new requirements and technologies. This is not always the case. Software assets are thus becoming more and more relevant for valuation in M&A transactions. Due to the special know-how required for a professional software analysis and in view of the importance of the results in the decision-making and negotiation process, the topic of software should be given its own workstream in a due diligence.

Because of the high technological dynamics in digitization, it is important to determine in software due diligence whether the software could follow current technological trends and can be upgraded with enhancements or new features with normal effort.

This drive for change also means that, in addition to the capabilities of the software, the software engineering and development processes must also be considered. They could easily become the bottleneck of an otherwise future-ready software. Identifying a dependency on external development service providers is also a valuable insight when it comes to assessing risks for the investor.

"Software must be designed to be flexible enough that it can be updated with the appropriate features to answer questions that aren't asked yet today."

To ensure that the software can be further developed without interruption and according to the investor's priorities, the potential risk minimization and development activities after Day 1 are identified in the software due diligence and prioritized with an effort/benefit assessment. If requested, we support and manage these activities in the acquired company.

Cape of Good Code has developed a modular analysis method in which all relevant fields of investigation for a software technology due diligence are either processed with the DETANGLE® Analysis Suite or by our experienced consultants. The final conclusions and report are in any case developed by our consultants.

Egon Wuchner, CEO

Let us talk about your project!

Our DETANGLE® Analysis Suite can be used for software companies as well as for companies that intensively use proprietary software for their value creation. Feel free to contact me.

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CONTENT _

Customized analysis

Which modules are used in the software analysis follows the logic of the investment thesis, the complexity of the target and is specified by the investor in a briefing.

The following aspects should always be of particular interest when examining the target company:

the maintenance effort for a largely trouble-free further operation
the ease with which the software can be expanded to include new features and functionalities
the interoperability and integration capability into the company's own software product range
the future readiness of the software in terms of scalability, performance and the use of current technologies (e.g. cloud)
the quality, sustainability and accuracy of any artificial intelligence (AI) used and its data sources
the lowest possible dependency on individuals and suppliers
the technology risks that should be eliminated first after Day 1

Why also consider the development methodology and culture?

Another, often neglected aspect in the evaluation of risks in software-centric companies are the software development processes.

Relevant questions for the strengths and weaknesses of the software development process are:

Are requirements, features, bugs recorded, planned and their code changes recorded in a structured manner?
Can a new version status be technically created, tested and rolled out in the shortest possible time?
Can each version status be tracked transparently in terms of planned and actually rolled out features?
To what extent is the user integrated into the bug tracking process to ensure timely and comprehensive reporting of the bug?
To what extent are update and upgrade mechanisms automated in the software?

Only when combined, the examination of the technology and the development process provides an adequate picture of the extent to which the target company is prepared for the challenges and opportunities of digitization.

Digital business models fundamentally change the requirements for software development. It is no longer just about optimizing or stabilizing, instead it is essential to innovate continuously.

Whether the target company has implemented or automated appropriate technical processes beyond agile development methods and whether these are also practiced is reviewed in the software due diligence.

In addition, it is important that new features are tested efficiently at the technical and user level before they become an integral part of the software. Integrating user feedback in particular ensures that features are of relevance and user-friendly. This in turn ensures that the launch of new features can be carried out quickly and with a minimum of issues.

It is precisely the aspect of development methods and culture that determines whether the company or division is capable of playing a leading role in the upcoming challenges posed by the digitization trend.

Red Flag Software Due Diligence
Deep Dive Software Due Diligence

	Red Flag Software Due Diligence Capture the risk issues of a software in a short time and with manageable effort REQUEST NOW	Deep Dive Software Due Diligence Get a detailed picture of the software and recommendations for action for Day 1 REQUEST NOW
Quick check of data room
Full analysis of data room + document request list
Verify document and general findings with interviews
DETANGLE analysis of code quality
DETANGLE analysis of architecture quality
DETANGLE analysis of system and open source software security
DETANGLE based evaluation of knowledge distribution risks
Assessment of engineering processes
DETANLE based estimation of potential costs to develop software from scratch
Short report
Extensive report + suggestions for R&D priorities from Day 1

Red Flag Software Due Diligence

For a first risk assessment for a non-binding offer a Red Flag Software Due Diligence is sufficient. This focuses on the known potential risk issues in a software. The effort is modest with a maximum of 5-8 days. Already in this case, the code and its architecture are examined with the DETANGLE® Analysis Suite. Risks such as increased maintenance costs, critical technical debt as well as security and organizational problems are identified. This ensures that potential technology red flags are not overlooked at an early stage of the M&A transaction.

Deep Dive Software Due Diligence

In the binding offer phase, a Deep Dive Software Due Diligence should be performed based on the Red Flag Due Diligence findings. This investigation takes 10-20 man-days of effort. It provides additional and detailed information about the extent of the Technical Debt, the resulting risks, but also an estimate of the effort required to resolve the critical Technical Debt. In addition, the dependencies from developers and suppliers are made visible. Depending on the assignment, recommendations can also be made for the most important R&D tasks starting from Day 1.

What sets DETANGLE® apart from other code analysis tools?

The DETANGLE® Software Analysis Suite also analyzes the software directly in the code, but correlates development history, maintainability and extensibility with the bugs and features of the software. As a result, it becomes possible to link the software potential, as outlined in the Information Memorandum, with the technical and organizational reality of the software and its development environment.

The findings of the DETANGLE® analysis are interpreted by experienced software specialists and presented in an understandable way in the Software Due Diligence Report. This provides an investor with a sound data basis for the technological risks and opportunities of the planned investment. Equally important are the recommendations on priorities for post-closing actions.

The Cape of Good Code analysis

how far is software engineering already prepared for digital business models
to which extend is the further development of the software ensured without the necessity a costly new start or other unplanned effort and costs
about the quality, sustainability and accuracy of any artificial intelligence or machine learning algorithms (AI/ML) and data sources used
about potential dependencies on key developers and supplier
does the software engineering process meets the requirements of an state-of-the-art development methodology and quality assurance
Is the software documentation sufficient for seamless further development. Where are the main gaps located in the code?

Wiki

Software Analysis